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# Candidates Weigh In on Gang Violence and Attracting Businesses
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/110106-story-20061101-7/
- Published: 2006-11-01T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:59:55.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

Residents and elected officials often clash over the issue of gang violence — some advocate more enforcement, others call for more intervention and prevention strategies. Where would you focus resources?

As a candidate who is endorsed by both neighborhood leaders on the issue of gang violence as well as the firefighters, para-medics and former chief of police, I have found the common ground to solve this problem. All sides want solutions, and we need to focus on creating and implementing community policing that is locally-defined, and providing engaging and interesting youth programs that attract young people on their own terms.

IF YOU COULD HAVE LUNCH WITH ANY THREE PEOPLE IN HISTORY, WHO WOULD THEY BE? (SPOUSE AND CHILDREN EXCLUDED) Robert Oppenheimer, Toni Morrison, Abe Lincoln.

Local businesses provide the majority of the city’s general fund revenues, yet santa monica has a reputation for being a difficult place to do business. How would you entice more businesses, different businesses, to open up shop?

Provide more creative space for businesses to thrive and compete against the large chain operations that pay more in rent. Enliven the public spaces with art, increase pedestrian safety and maximize public transit.

What’s the biggest threat facing the quality of life in santa monica?

Car culture threatens to take away the livability of our city. It interferes with pedestrian enjoyment of the built environment, contributes significantly to our pollution burden, produces noise and reduces our interactions with neighbors. Many people in this election will prioritize cars, their facilities and their movement over people. I will not.

COMFORT FOODS?

Pizza, nilla wafers and milk does the city need more parking spaces, or will that just attract more drivers? What incentives should the city offer to get people out of their cars?

The city has been on a downtown parking building binge, and we should evaluate the effect before committing to building additional parking. We should encourage people to leave the car at home by making the decision to do so safer and easier. Pedestrian and bike safety has declined in our community in recent years. The city has made no progress on increasing the network of bike lanes in our city, which now total a mere 3 percent! Many neighborhoods need improved parking facilities, and these can be provided with creative solutions like angled parking and car sharing.

FREE FORM. WHAT’S PUTTING A BURR UNDER YOUR SADDLE?

So-called progressives who are more interested in the fight than the solution; picking sides and not getting results; placing blame and not taking responsibility; claiming credit and not knowing how to work with a team WHY ARE YOU SO SPECIAL?

I’m not so special, just willing. There is no good self-interested reason for running for city council, particularly as a young father with a career and a mortgage. You have to be committed to making change happen and not protecting the old way of doing things to make running for city council worthwhile. I’ve let my actions and record speak for itself.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 1, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110106.pdf?ref=smdp.com)